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Why the CDC Says the Pandemic Disinfecting Craze May Be Overkill

Crowds close interactions and ventilation are more concerning when it comes to the coronavirus experts say

Weedezign/Getty Ima Are you still buying special disinfecting wipes in bulk and attacking door handles, groceries and packages to prevent ? It may not be necessary, according to from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While not impossible, the risk of getting infected from a surface is very low — “generally less than 1 in 10,000,” the CDC says. And the agency says it's fine to use regular household cleaners as long as no one is sick or has a suspected coronavirus infection. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "In most situations, regular cleaning of surfaces with soap and detergent, not necessarily disinfecting those surfaces, is enough to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing on April 5. The new CDC guidance says that cleaning with soap or detergent at least once per day can substantially reduce virus levels on surfaces. Surface transmission can also be reduced by handwashing and wearing a well-fitting mask, Walensky said. The CDC says disinfection is necessary only if there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in an indoor space within the last 24 hours. Soap and water reduce the risk of infection by physically removing germs from a surface, while disinfectants kill germs.

Changing science on coronavirus transmission

The revised CDC guidance reflects the latest science, which shows the new coronavirus is transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected people, particularly in poorly ventilated indoor environments when people are within 6 feet of each other. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > However, the CDC notes that those experiments “do not necessarily reflect real-world conditions” or “account for inefficiencies in transfer of the virus between surfaces to hands and from hands to mouth, nose and eyes.” Researchers in many of those early studies were actually finding fragments of the virus, called viral RNA, on surfaces, says Emanuel Goldman, a microbiologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School who wrote a commentary in The Lancet last July arguing that surfaces presented little risk. While viral RNA can indicate the presence of the virus, it is actually “the corpse of the virus, what's left when the virus dies,” Goldman says. “Viral RNA cannot infect you." Goldman is aware of only one study in which the live virus was found on a surface — on a package of frozen cod at a shipping dock in China. But even in that study, he says, the virus was no longer present by the time the product got to supermarkets. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is actually quite fragile, Goldman explains, and quickly degrades on surfaces when it's exposed to light or when the environment is room temperature or higher.

Cleaning guidelines for public buildings

The CDC's revised guidance on cleaning comes as a growing number of Americans are getting vaccinated and more schools, businesses and public buildings are opening to the public. Many have spent millions of dollars on high-tech cleaning solutions and have put strict disinfectant protocols in place in an attempt to reassure the public. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS